{"id":19897,"date":"2014-05-19T09:00:39","date_gmt":"2014-05-19T13:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/frugal-living\/?p=19912"},"modified":"2019-03-07T08:20:49","modified_gmt":"2019-03-07T13:20:49","slug":"annapolis-maryland-staycation-on-a-budget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/frugal-living\/annapolis-maryland-staycation-on-a-budget\/","title":{"rendered":"Annapolis, Maryland: Staycation on a Budget"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/frugal-living\/files\/2012\/06\/staycation-2012-wide.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-18807\" title=\"staycation-2012-wide\" src=\"\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/frugal-living\/files\/2012\/06\/staycation-2012-wide.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"470\" height=\"210\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/frugal-living\/files\/2012\/06\/staycation-2012-wide.jpg 470w, https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/frugal-living\/files\/2012\/06\/staycation-2012-wide-300x134.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 470px) 100vw, 470px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>You don&#8217;t need a lot of money to have a great vacation in your hometown. If you live near Annapolis, Maryland there is no excuse for not getting out and enjoying your beautiful city. I had the opportunity to spend the weekend in Annapolis earlier this month and even though I was only twenty minutes from my home it truly felt like a vacation.<\/p>\n<p>Annapolis is a historic city with so many fun free and inexpensive activities you&#8217;ll want to plan your trip right away!<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>If you don&#8217;t live in Maryland come back tomorrow for a list of staycation ideas for over 80 cities!\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>Exploring Annapolis, Maryland<\/h2>\n<h3>Historic Annapolis<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/frugal-living\/files\/2013\/05\/photo-19.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-19913\" src=\"\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/frugal-living\/files\/2013\/05\/photo-19-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"historic annapolis\" width=\"553\" height=\"415\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/frugal-living\/files\/2013\/05\/photo-19-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/frugal-living\/files\/2013\/05\/photo-19-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/frugal-living\/files\/2013\/05\/photo-19.jpg 1632w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 553px) 100vw, 553px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The best part about historic Annapolis, is historic Annapolis. Aside from parking (which can be a pain) there is so much to see in the large historic Annapolis area.<\/p>\n<p>The entire area is easily walkable, although it will take you all day, so wear comfortable shoes. From historic buildings to quaint shops and beautiful sailboats there is plenty to see on your walking tour of Annapolis.<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 1.17em;\">U.S. Naval Academy<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><a title=\"2008 USNA Commissioning Week by Radio Rover, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/radiorover\/2512192291\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/farm3.static.flickr.com\/2010\/2512192291_676670dbb1.jpg\" alt=\"2008 USNA Commissioning Week\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The U.S. Naval Academy&#8217;s campus is beautiful and the museum admission is free. Check the security requirements and bring an id for access to the campus. The campus is absolutely beautiful and worth visiting. You can walk the campus on your own or purchase a guided one hour and fifteen minute tour. ($10 adults, $8 kids, preschoolers are free).<\/p>\n<p>Check the <a target = \"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.usnabsd.com\/for-visitors\/public-tours\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Naval Academy website<\/a> for hours and more information.<\/p>\n<h3>First Sunday Art Festival<\/h3>\n<p><a target = \"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/firstsundayarts.com\/frequently_asked_questions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-19919\" title=\"first sunday arts festival annapolis\" src=\"\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/frugal-living\/files\/2013\/05\/FS-ArtsFest-logo_4c.190234608-816x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Print\" width=\"490\" height=\"614\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/frugal-living\/files\/2013\/05\/FS-ArtsFest-logo_4c.190234608-816x1024.jpg 816w, https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/frugal-living\/files\/2013\/05\/FS-ArtsFest-logo_4c.190234608-239x300.jpg 239w, https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/frugal-living\/files\/2013\/05\/FS-ArtsFest-logo_4c.190234608.jpg 1327w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 490px) 100vw, 490px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s a street festival, an art market, entertainment venue and a arts and craft fair all in one place! Admission is free to the <a target = \"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/firstsundayarts.com\/home\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">First Sunday Arts Festival <\/a>open every Sunday from May to October. This is a great free activity the whole family can enjoy!<\/p>\n<h3>Water Taxi<\/h3>\n<p>Take a water taxi from Annapolis to Eastport or cruise the Bay on one of their guided tours. Transportation<a target = \"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/cruisesonthebay.com\/annapolis-water-taxi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> rates range between $3-$8 each way <\/a>and are based on\u00a0destination. The water taxi operates from May to Labor Day.\u00a0The City Dock Water Taxi stand is adjacent to the Harbormaster\u2019s office in Ego Alley.<\/p>\n<p>You can find a list of all the guided tours on the <a target = \"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.watermarkcruises.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Watermark website<\/a>. Check out their<a target = \"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/destinationeducation.com\/our-field-trips\/pricing-menu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> field trip pricing<\/a> to save on these tours.<\/p>\n<h3>William Paca House<\/h3>\n<p>Tour the<a target = \"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.annapolis.org\/index.asp?pageid=49\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> beautifully restored home<\/a> of Maryland governor and Declaration of Independence signer William Paca. Guided tours are available for the house and guests can explore the gardens on their own.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/frugal-living\/files\/2013\/05\/pacahouse.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-21012\" src=\"\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/frugal-living\/files\/2013\/05\/pacahouse.jpg\" alt=\"pacahouse\" width=\"388\" height=\"258\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/frugal-living\/files\/2013\/05\/pacahouse.jpg 388w, https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/frugal-living\/files\/2013\/05\/pacahouse-300x199.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 388px) 100vw, 388px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Admission is $10 for adults, children six and above are $5. Members are admitted free.<\/p>\n<h3>Annapolis Maritime Museum<\/h3>\n<p>Learn more about Chesapeake Bay ecology and Annapolis maritime history at the Annapolis Maritime Museum. It is open from noon to 4pm every\u00a0Thursday to Sunday and admission is FREE!<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #010101;\">This summer don&#8217;t miss the \u00a0Annapolis Maritime Museum\u2019s TIDES &amp; TUNES Summer Concert Series,\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"color: #010101;\">Thursdays, June 19 to August 7, 7-8:30 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Quiet Waters Park<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/frugal-living\/files\/2011\/05\/Quiet-Waters-Park.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-17706\" src=\"\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/frugal-living\/files\/2011\/05\/Quiet-Waters-Park.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"467\" height=\"350\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The Quiet Waters Park is beautiful and admission is only $6 a vehicle, free for military and their dependents. The park has a beautiful playground, plenty of green grass to throw the frisbee or stretch out and enjoy the weather, and art exhibits. You could easily spend the entire day at this park.<\/p>\n<h3>Chesapeake Children&#8217;s Museum<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/frugal-living\/files\/2011\/05\/Chesapeake-Children_s-Museum.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-17703\" src=\"\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/frugal-living\/files\/2011\/05\/Chesapeake-Children_s-Museum.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"520\" height=\"347\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I wouldn&#8217;t pay full price to visit the\u00a0<a target = \"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.theccm.org\/about.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chesapeake Children&#8217;s Museum<\/a>, but take advantage of discounted days. This museum is old, and could use a little face lift, but it is totally hands on and your kids will love it! From finger painting to puppet shows your kids can enjoy the day exploring the different rooms of the museum, with minimal supervision.<\/p>\n<h3>Wednesday Night Boat Races<\/h3>\n<p><a title=\"Stabled by The ClayTaurus, on Flickr\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/theclaytaurus\/141761432\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/\/farm1.static.flickr.com\/44\/141761432_663bf2f618.jpg\" alt=\"Stabled\" width=\"500\" height=\"272\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Every Wednesday during the summer months, hundreds of sailors take to the Severn River for this weekly race. Get a great view of the finish line from the drawbridge that separates Annapolis from Eastport.<\/p>\n<h3>United States Naval Academy Band Concerts<\/h3>\n<p>The USNA Band performs all over Maryland, including several times in Annapolis every summer. You won&#8217;t want to miss a free concert!<\/p>\n<h3>National Wildlife Center<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/frugal-living\/files\/2011\/05\/Wildlife.refuge.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-17705\" src=\"\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/frugal-living\/files\/2011\/05\/Wildlife.refuge.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"551\" height=\"413\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The National Wildlife Center is a short drive from Annapolis, but I highly recommend visiting this refuge. My family went a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed their time. The crowds are minimal and it is free. There is a small charge for the guided tram tours.<\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<p>Photo Credits: <a target = \"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/kubina\/\">Jeff Kubina<\/a>, <a target = \"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/radiorover\/\">Radio Rover<\/a>, <a target = \"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/ursusdave\/\">ursusdave<\/a>, <a target = \"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/theclaytaurus\/\">The ClayTaurus<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You don&#8217;t need a lot of money to have a great vacation in your hometown. If you live near Annapolis, Maryland there is no excuse for not getting out and enjoying your beautiful city. I had the opportunity to spend the weekend in Annapolis earlier this month and even though I was only twenty minutes [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-19897","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-uncategorized","7":"entry","8":"has-post-thumbnail"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/frugal-living\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19897","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/frugal-living\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/frugal-living\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/frugal-living\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/frugal-living\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19897"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/frugal-living\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19897\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22542,"href":"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/frugal-living\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19897\/revisions\/22542"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/frugal-living\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/frugal-living\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19897"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thehappyhousewife.com\/frugal-living\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}